Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

• “I will praise the Lord’s name for saving me…” Praise is the response of gratefulness to God; when a person ceases to be thankful the praises stop. A church that shares the benefits of the blood of Christ will constantly be filled with songs and expressions of praise. His name is to constantly remind us of the great act of salvation he performed on our behalf. • “I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” The promises mentioned in this psalm are lifting up the symbolic cup of his salvation, (13) praising the Lord’s name, (13) offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving (17) and calling on the name of the Lord . From these flows all the spiritual dynamics of Christian living; when we forget to do these things we disconnect from the source of life and religious motion replaces a relationship with God.

“The Lord’s loved ones are precious to him; it grieves him when they die.”(15)

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” NIV

To see how much God cares about the death of his ‘saints’ we only have to attend the tomb of Lazarus with Jesus and see his response to the death of his friend: “’ Where have you put him?’ he (Jesus) asked them. They told him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, ‘See how much he loved him.’” (Jn. 11:34-36) Death was never God’s purpose for his creation as this was the result of mankind’s fatal choice, yet each time we visit the grave of a de- parted believer we are reminded of the triumph of God’s Son over this last enemy.

“O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, the son of your handmaid, and you have freed me from my bonds!” (16)

‘’Son of the maid’ is in the legal terminology of the slave born in the household, who has neither claim nor prospect of emancipation. This relation the psalmist transfers to his relation to Yahweh in order to show that he is the lowliest servant and slave 2 .’ It was Christ, the son of Mary, God’s handmaid that freed mankind by his death and resurrection. “You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the most High.” (Lk. 1:31, 32) Jesus has freed us from the bonds of the slavery of sin. “I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the house of the Lord, in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.” (17-19) Though the psalm began with a personal struggle with death he ends exuberantly with a public display of thanksgiving and prayer before God. He mentions the ‘sacrifice of thanksgiving’ which is the main of- fering believers bring to God in the New Testament: “With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacri- fice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name.” (Heb. 13:15) The tears, terror and crying out to God is now transformed into celebration with

“all of his people” “in the house of the Lord” “in the heart of Jerusalem.”

Upon Hezekiah’s deliverance from death he too proclaimed: “Think of it–the Lord has healed me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the Lord.” (Isa. 38:20) The psalm ends as it should with a great ‘Hallal’; “Praise the Lord!”

1 Spence 2 Kraus

294